A Walk with Jane Austenby
Lori Smith

"Smith’s
raw account of her personal pilgrimage through Jane Austen’s
England, while not a traditional biography, is surprisingly informative
about Jane Austen’s life and death."

I am perhaps not the best one to review a book on Jane Austen since I
have not yet read all of her books (a shame, I know, since there are only
6 complete novels - I'm working on it!). On the other hand, perhaps the
best compliment I can give Lori Smith's A Walk with Jane Austen is that
it has induced me to embark on the unread novels this spring. Smith's raw
account of her personal pilgrimage through Jane Austen's England, while
not a traditional biography, is surprisingly informative about Jane Austen's
life and death. It is also surprisingly, and sometimes uncomfortably so,
informative about Smith's own life and thoughts of death.

I'm not sure if die-hard Austen
fans will find any new biographical tidbits in Smith's account (are there
any left to be found about this much-researched
author?), but for the generalist like myself, Smith provides a fact-filled
education on this enduring writer. Traditional biographical material includes
a bibliography and extensive chapter endnotes. Personal biographic touches
include "Lori's Walk with Jane," which comprises a 2-page annotated
map of England that outlines Austen points of interest followed by a detailed
textual listing of each area, its various Austen-related houses, museums,
gardens, and filming sites as well as websites for more information.

Smith openly reveals that she is an unabashed fan of both novels and films,
and her enthusiasm is infectious. She is also very open about her debilitating
chronic illness, which leads to constant exhaustion, depression, crises
of faith, and even suicidal thoughts. To the reader expecting a pleasant
travelogue through Jane Austen's England, these authorial confessions can
be quite jarring and discomforting. As can be her angst-filled romantic
musings over a possible suitor whom she meets at her first stop in Oxford.
But in a way, perhaps this deep introspection on the page appropriately
serves as a modern-day echo of Austen's insular and confessional novels
of the inner life of young women two centuries ago.

In any case, Smith's soul-searching journey runs alongside her physical
pilgrimage to Austen sites, and provides the book with an emotional framework
that lies over the chronological structure of going from point to point.
I recommend this book to general Jane Austen fans for its biographical
overview and helpful resources for those who want to pursue Jane further.
I also think die-hard fans may appreciate A Walk with Jane Austen because,
though the biographical details may be nothing new, the presentation and
focus on Austen's religiosity certainly is. Others who may enjoy this book
include readers who love travel writing, biographies, writerly journals,
and all things British.

Heather
R. Hunt is
a business editor in Connecticut. For fun she reads, writes, cheers on the Red
Sox, and enjoys tennis and cycling.
She also co-leads a local tea party and enjoys holding government officials and
media outlets accountable. Check out her blogs, The View
from Stonewater and
Connecticut for Sarah Palin.